Author: Healio ophthalmology

J&J CEO confirms company’s commitment to ophthalmology

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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Johnson & Johnson is “absolutely committed” to ophthalmology and is actively looking at ways to increase its presence in the space due to the large unmet needs of an aging population, Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, said here. In a wide-ranging interview at the OCTANe Ophthalmology Technology Summit with Jim Mazzo, global president of ophthalmic devices at Carl Zeiss Meditec, Gorsky was asked if he sees other areas in ophthalmology in which the company could further expand or if he was focused fully on (Read more...)

PUBLICATION EXCLUSIVE: Young woman who went blind in one eye presents years later with symptoms in fellow eye

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A 21-year-old Hispanic woman presented to the University of New Mexico with a 1-month history of worsening flashes of light and scotomas in her left superior field of vision.Regarding her medical and ocular history, the patient had previously been diagnosed with a “generalized vasculitis.” When she was 14 years old, she developed joint pain in her wrists, ankles and knees. Within a week of the onset of the arthralgias, she also lost vision in the right eye and has since only seen bare light perception in that eye. She was (Read more...)

Senate health care bill takes slower approach to House bill, expert concerns persist

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The Senate health care bill, released to the public today, maintains much from the version the House passed May 4, 2017, but presents some key changes such as a slower phase out of Medicaid expansion and funding cost-sharing exchange plans for 2 years.“The most important take away is that both the House and Senate versions make efforts to stabilize the insurance market — the non-employer, individual insurance markets — in various ways,” Kristine Blackwood, from the international law firm Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, told Healio.com. “There should largely (Read more...)

Avedro names new chief financial officer

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Thomas E. Griffin will join Avedro as its new chief financial officer. “Tom’s financial acumen combined with his significant experience in the medical technology industry for both private and publicly held companies will be a tremendous asset,” Avedro Chief Executive Officer Reza Zadno, PhD, said in a company press release.

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FDA commissioner calls for public input on lifting generic barriers

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In introducing the FDA’s Drug Competition Action Plan, the commissioner announced his intent to assess ways FDA rules may be misused to create obstacles against generic drug access and competition; the organization plans to hold a meeting on July 18, 2017, to solicit input from the public.“Too many patients are being priced out of the medicines they need,” Scott Gottlieb, MD, commissioner of the FDA, wrote in the FDA’s blog. “While FDA doesn’t have a direct role in drug pricing, we can take steps to help address this problem by (Read more...)

CMS proposes rule to increase flexibility, reduce burdens

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CMS recently issued a proposed rule to update the Quality Payment Program as required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 to simplify reporting requirements, ensure fiscal sustainability and high-quality care within Medicare, and offer support for clinicians in 2018, according to a press release.The move quickly drew praise from the AMA, which noted the measure’s emphasis on “high-quality, high-value care” and flexibility.

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State medical licensing board questions may discourage physicians from addressing their mental health

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Medical license application questions are still not treating mental and physical illness the same, and this could be impacting a physician’s decision to seek treatment for mental disorders, according to findings recently published in Family Medicine. “There had been some studies many years ago that also looked at how states treat mental health and physical health. I expected that there would be quite a bit of change since our study was done quite a number of years later,” Katherine J. Gold, MD, MSW, MS, department of family medicine, University of (Read more...)